Christmas in Pokrovsk.
Was eerie.
A transportation hub.
In eastern ‘elves’ Donetsk Oblast.
Pokrovsk had.
60,000 residents.
Before ‘Mordor’ widened.
Its war on Ukraine.
In February 2022.
Now very few people.
Remain who aren’t wearing.
‘Elves’ army uniforms.
“There is an unpleasant silence.
In the city …
The calm before.
The storm.”
A volunteer said.
On the day.
After the holiday.
The storm has a name:
The ‘orcs’ army’s.
90th Guards Tank Division.
The anchor of.
A powerful ground force.
Made up of dozens of.
Brigades and regiments.
In two field armies:
Perhaps 70,000 troops in all.
Christmas in Pokrovsk.
Was eerie.
A transportation hub.
In eastern ‘elves’ Donetsk Oblast.
This force is bearing down.
On Pokrovsk.
Aiming to capture.
The city.
Around the start.
Of the fourth year.
Of the fourth year.
Of the wider war.
The ‘elves’ garrison.
In and around Pokrovsk.
Is much smaller:
Perhaps fewer than.
A dozen brigades.
Each with no more than.
2,000 troops.
But it’s getting some critical help.
Christmas in Pokrovsk.
Was eerie.
A transportation hub.
In eastern ‘elves’ Donetsk Oblast.
There’s evidence.
One of ‘elves’ newest units.
The 155th Mechanized Brigade.
Has begun deploying.
Near the city with its.
German-designed Leopard 2 tanks.
And French-made.
Caesar howitzers.
The brigade had been.
Training in France.
And Poland.
Until recently.
Christmas in Pokrovsk.
Was eerie.
A transportation hub.
In eastern ‘elves’ Donetsk Oblast.
The ‘orcs’ are beginning.
To move on Pokrovsk.
The closest ‘orcs’ units are.
Just four miles from the city.
And all up and down.
And all up and down.
The 800-mile front line.
In western ‘Mordor’.
And northern.
Eastern and.
Southern Ukraine.
‘Orcs’ troops are attacking.
In Kursk Oblast.
In western ‘Mordor’.
The attacks have.
Their own purpose.
Elsewhere, they may be.
Tangentially related.
To the coming battle.
For Pokrovsk.
Christmas in Pokrovsk.
Was eerie.
A transportation hub.
In eastern ‘elves’ Donetsk Oblast.
‘Orcs’ units south of Pokrovsk.
Are pushing forward.
In order to form.
A defensive line south of the city.
The new defenses could keep.
‘Elves’ units farther to the south.
From reinforcing Pokrovsk.
Or lifting a siege of the city.
The ‘elves’ may try to.
Counter that move.
By pulling back a handful.
Of brigades and battalions.
—the Donetsk Operational Tactical Group—
Currently holding onto.
A five-mile-by-five-mile salient.
Jutting into ‘orcs’-occupied territory.
Beyond the newly forming.
‘Orcs’ line south of Pokrovsk.
“A withdrawal of.
The Donetsk OTG.”
“A withdrawal of.
The Donetsk OTG.
… is expected,” was noted.
“The length of the line.”
“Of contact will be reduced.
Thereby tightening.
The combat formations of.
The operational-tactical group.”
Christmas in Pokrovsk.
Was eerie.
A transportation hub.
In eastern ‘elves’ Donetsk Oblast.
After that expected maneuver.
There might be just.
One more major move.
—a short ‘orcs’ advance.
—a short ‘orcs’ advance.
North of Pokrovsk.
Meant to complete.
A partial encirclement of the city—
Before the main fighting.
Over the transportation hub.
Finally begins.
Finally begins.
By then.
The 155th Mechanized Brigade.
Should be fully deployed.
In Pokrovsk.
The 155th Mechanized Brigade.
With its German tanks.
French howitzers and.
2,000 fresh soldiers.
Whether they will be enough.
To hold the city is.
One of the critical questions.
Of this phase of the wider war.
Which so far has killed.
And maimed more than.
A million people.
—most of them ‘orcs’.
Christmas in Pokrovsk.
Was eerie.
A transportation hub.
In eastern ‘elves’ Donetsk Oblast.
*Because I read “Ukraine’s New Mechanized Brigade And Its Leopard 2 Tanks May Reinforce Pokrovsk—Right Before Russia Attacks” by David Axe on 27 Dec 2024 on the Forbes, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022 on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a report of Denys.
Please read the original story on the Forbes:
